Method and system for assisting a user in guiding a catheter during a cardial operation

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product, the method comprising: obtaining electrical information from a plurality of electrodes disposed on a distal end assembly of a catheter within a heart of a patient as the catheter is being maneuvered within the heart; dynamically identifying a portion of the distal end assembly that is displaced from tissue wall of the heart, based upon the electrical information received from the plurality of electrodes; generating a visual representation of the distal end assembly; dynamically distorting the visual representation by warping (the identified portion of the distal end assembly; and rendering the visual representation as dynamically distorted to the display device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining electrical information from a plurality of electrodes disposed on a distal end assembly of a catheter within a heart of a patient as the catheter is being maneuvered within the heart;   dynamically identifying a portion of the distal end assembly that is displaced from tissue wall of the heart, based upon the electrical information received from the plurality of electrodes;   generating a visual representation of the distal end assembly;   dynamically distorting the visual representation by stretching a shape of the identified portion of the distal end assembly in a manner that provides a visual indication of a direction extending outwardly from the portion identified, wherein the direction extending outwardly from the portion identified is the direction available for steering the distal end assembly away from the tissue wall or along the tissue wall; and   rendering the visual representation as dynamically distorted to a display device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion is identified as being displaced from the tissue wall in at least a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion is identified as being displaced from the tissue wall further than other portions of the distal end assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual representation is calculated in three dimensions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical information is impedance. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catheter is a basket-type catheter comprising a plurality of splines on which the plurality of electrodes is disposed, and wherein distorting the shape of the visual representation comprises stretching the shape of the visual representation of at least one spline from the plurality of splines. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the catheter is a balloon-type catheter and wherein distorting the visual representation further comprises deflating or narrowing at least one portion of the visual representation of the balloon-type catheter. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distorting the visual representation is performed based on determining that the catheter is in motion within the heart. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during ablation of a tissue of the patient, the visual representation of the distal end assembly is rendered in its known shape without the imposed distorting. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distorting the representation is subject to user selection. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising tracking locations and orientations of the distal end assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a map of a chamber of a heart based on the locations of the distal end assembly within the chamber of the heart, and wherein the visual representation is rendered on the map at a current location of the distal end assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said tracking is performed using a magnetic position tracking system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining a direction in which the catheter is to be steered, and rendering a visual indication of the direction in proximity to the visual representation of the distal end assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering an estimated outline of the tissue wall in the vicinity of the distal end assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the outline is estimated based on the distance of each electrode of the plurality of electrodes from the tissue wall. 
     
     
         17 . A computerized apparatus having a processor coupled with a memory unit, the processor being adapted to perform the steps of:
 obtaining electrical information from a plurality of electrodes disposed on a distal end assembly of a catheter within a heart of a patient as the catheter is being maneuvered within the heart;   dynamically identifying a portion of the distal end assembly that is displaced from tissue wall of the heart, based upon the electrical information received from the plurality of electrodes;   generating a visual representation of the distal end assembly;   dynamically distorting the visual representation by stretching a shape of the identified portion of the distal end assembly in a manner that provides a visual indication of a direction extending outwardly from the portion identified, wherein the direction extending outwardly from the portion identified is the direction available for steering the distal end assembly away from the tissue wall or along the tissue wall; and   rendering the visual representation as dynamically distorted to a display device.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the catheter is a basket-type catheter comprising a plurality of splines on which the plurality of electrodes is disposed, and wherein distorting the shape of the visual representation comprises stretching the visual representation of at least one spline from the plurality of splines. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the catheter is a balloon-type catheter and wherein distorting the visual representation further comprises deflating or narrowing at least one portion of the visual representation of the balloon-type catheter. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions configured to cause a processor to perform actions, which program instructions implement:
 obtaining electrical information from a plurality of electrodes disposed on a distal end assembly of a catheter within a heart of a patient as the catheter is being maneuvered within the heart;   dynamically identifying a portion of the distal end assembly that is displaced from tissue wall of the heart, based upon the electrical information received from the plurality of electrodes;   generating a visual representation of the distal end assembly;   dynamically distorting the visual representation by stretching a shape of the identified portion of the distal end assembly in a manner that provides a visual indication of a direction extending outwardly from the portion identified, wherein the direction extending outwardly from the portion identified is the direction available for steering the distal end assembly away from the tissue wall or along the tissue wall; and   rendering the visual representation as dynamically distorted to a display device.